Tuesday, November 12, 2019

10,000 hours rule

A curious theory about why geniuses are not born but become, was published in his book “Geniuses and Outsiders” by journalist and sociologist Malcolm Gladwell. Based on the work of psychologist Anders Ericksonon, he studied the success stories of many legendary personalities and companies, as a result of which the “Rule of 10,000 hours” was born.

From the book: “Whatever the subject matter, it takes 10,000 hours of practice to reach a level of excellence commensurate with the status of a world-class expert. In studies whose objects were composers, basketball players, writers, skaters, pianists, chess players, seasoned criminals, and so on, this number is found with surprising regularity. 10,000 hours is equivalent to about 3 hours of practice per day, or 20 hours per week for 10 years. This, of course, does not explain why some people benefit more than others. But so far no one has encountered a case where the highest level of skill was achieved in less time. It seems that it takes so much time for the brain to absorb all the necessary information. ”

The successes of Mozart, The Beatles, Bill Gates, Bobby Fisher and others are given as examples:

    The first concert, considered great, Mozart wrote completely independently (without the help of his father) at the age of 21 years. By this time, Mozart had been composing music for ten years.
    It also takes about ten years to become a grandmaster. Only the legendary Bobby Fisher came to this honorary title faster: it took him nine years.
    According to estimates, Bill Gates spent about 10,000 hours programming on a computer, after which he was able to make a significant leap forward.
    “The Beatles” arrived in the USA in February 1964, marking the beginning of the “British invasion” of America’s music scene and delivering a series of hits that changed the sound of popular music. Ten years have passed from the day the group was founded until the recording of such illustrious albums as The Orchestra of the Club of Lonely Hearts of Sergeant Pepper and The White Album.

Thus, Malcolm Gladwell argues that the key factor for success is not so much an innate talent or high IQ of a person, but hard work for a long time. The environment also plays a big role. Neither great scientists, nor famous musicians, nor professional athletes are able to succeed alone or without any money.

One important clarification: you need to spend time not on studying activities, but on the practical side of things. And yet, the effect is given only by persistent training with increasingly complex tasks. Otherwise, you risk getting stuck on the same level.

So, 10,000 hours or 5 years of full time is the magic number of the greatest skill. Do you want to - believe it, but want to - check this rule first hand.

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